All pass holders (work pass holders, dependants and helpers) must be fully vaccinated before entering Singapore.
The following groups are exempted from the COVID-19 vaccination requirements for entry to Singapore:
- Pass holders aged 12 and below (based on birth date) on arrival.
- Pass holders who cannot be vaccinated due to medical condition(s).
Employers must submit an exemption request with a doctor’s memo at least 3 weeks before the planned arrival date. The exemption request must be approved before pass holders can enter Singapore.
The pass holders must undergo a medical review within 30 days of arrival. If the Singapore-registered doctor does not exempt them, they must undergo the full vaccination regime within 2 months.
If you have successfully cancelled the entry approval, you will automatically receive a refund to the credit card that was used for the original payment within 2 months of the cancellation approval.
If you have not cancelled the entry approval, you may request for a refund or check on the status of your refund using this online form. For us to consider a refund, please also include the relevant supporting documents to support your request.
Find out who is responsible for paying for the pass holder’s COVID-19 treatment.
| Type of employee |
Purpose of travel |
Who is responsible for the costs? |
| Existing work pass holders returning from overseas |
Left Singapore for work |
Employers must bear the costs in full and are not allowed to pass on any cost to the employees. |
| Left Singapore for personal reasons |
Employers and employees should come to a mutual agreement on who bears the costs or how to share them.
|
| New work pass holders on in-principle approvals |
Plan to enter Singapore for employment |
For Work Permit holders, employers must bear the costs in full and are not allowed to pass on any cost to the employees.
For other work passes, employers and employees should come to a mutual agreement on who bears the costs or how to share them.
|
[For helpers and confinement nannies] Employment agencies who had paid to bring the helper into Singapore may recover these costs from employers. If so, employment agencies should obtain the employers’ agreement to pay for the costs before applying for the helper.
Please refer to MOH’s website for more information.
For new helpers or nannies, you must start paying her salary once she has completed her SHN and is deployed to the household for work.
For existing helpers returning from overseas, you must continue paying her salary once she returns to Singapore.
We advise employers to submit a new work pass application for such workers after the situation stabilises.
Yes, employers may apply for a levy waiver for the following pass holders on home or overseas leave:
No, pass holders must complete their SHN before employers can send them for any of the issuance-related procedures.
If their Short-Term Visit Passes (STVP) are expiring soon, for:
- Employment Pass, S Pass, Dependant’s Pass or Long Term Visit Pass holders, please request for time to do the issuance while the pass holders serve SHN. Submit this request within 1 week before the STVP expires.
Example: If the STVP expires on 10 February, please only submit the request from 3 February.
- Work Permit holders, the validities of their STVPs and in-principle approvals will be automatically extended by 2 weeks. Please note that no letters will be issued for this extension.
MOM will not hesitate to take enforcement measures against any parties who do not comply with the SHN requirements. Measures include criminal proceedings, work pass revocations and withdrawal of work pass privileges.
Employers can request to extend their pass holders’ stay in Singapore if they need more time to send them home (e.g. waiting for an embassy-facilitated flight or pass holders are on Stay-Home Notice). Please submit this request within 1 week before the pass holder's Special Pass or Short-Term Visit Pass (STVP) expires.
If the Special Pass / STVP expires on 10 February, please only submit the request from 3 February.
With the gradual easing of travel restrictions in Singapore, you may wish to discuss with your pass holders and come to a mutual agreement on their travel plans.
You are also reminded to refer to the travel requirements that your pass holders must adhere to when they return to Singapore, and mutually agree with your pass holders who should pay for the Stay-Home-Notice (SHN) and related COVID-19 tests costs, where applicable.
You have to bear the full cost of COVID-19 travel requirements for new Work Permit holders entering Singapore.
However, to protect yourself against Work Permit holders who job-hop shortly after starting work, you can review the contractual terms of new Work Permit holders who have yet to come to Singapore to include certain conditions.
These conditions, such as a minimum employment period or notice period for employment terminations, should be:
- Mutually agreed between you and your workers.
- Reasonable in duration, e.g. 3-6 months for minimum employment period.
- Tied to only the costs of COVID-19 travel requirements e.g. COVID-19 entry tests, SHN accommodation (if applicable) and related transport, food and other daily essentials.
If your Work Permit holders breach these conditions, they will have to reimburse you. The reimbursement can be partial or full, depending on their length of service.
You should only impose these contract clauses against Work Permit holders who resign within a short period of time, e.g. within 3-6 months, to work for another employer without leaving Singapore. You cannot impose these clauses against Work Permit holders who resign to return to their home country (e.g. to attend to family matters).